Friday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Running a little late today. I am on the West Coast for a couple days, but still on East Coast time, kinda.

The President is meeting with his national security team this morning to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's interesting how these meetings aren't just about the operation in Afghanistan. There's an acknowledgement that Pakistan is part of the problem. All the top players will be there: Clinton, Gates, Mullen, Petraeus, Panetta and many others. Timing is ticking on the ability to "save" Afghanistan after the Bush team squandered eight years.

As Chris notes below, Senator Dodd will unveil his financial reform package. Let's hope it's real reform and not reform only in the eyes of U.S. Senators and financial reform lobbyists. The nation wants reform. We're ticked. If the Democrats can't deliver on this one, I don't know what to think. They have to make the Republicans own their ties to the financiers who almost destroyed the economy. This might be a good time for Senate Democrats to actually work with progressive media...but, of course, that will entail having a progressive bill or at least a strategy to get one...

Let's get threading the news...